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All Graduate Plan B and other Reports Graduate Studies
5-1977
Graduate Recital
Donna Gatlin Davis Utah State University
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Recommended Citation Davis, Donna Gatlin, "Graduate Recital" (1977). All Graduate Plan B and other Reports. 1138. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/gradreports/1138
This Report is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Graduate Plan B and other Reports by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. GRADUATE RECITAL
by
Donna Gatlin Davis
Report of a recital performed in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree
of
MASTER OF EDUCATION
in
Secondary Education
with an emphasis in
Music
Plan B
Approved:
UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY Logan, Utah 1977 ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PROGRAM ••...... iii PROGRAM NOTES . iv
LIST OF FIGURES . vii INTRODUCTION 1
LIFE OF FINZI 3
MUSIC OF FINZI 7
LIFE OF HARDY . 11
THE POETRY OF HARDY . 15
THE MUSIC OF GERALD FINZI USING THE POETRY OF HARDY . 17
ANALYSIS OF POETRY TEXTS AND MUSIC OF I SAID TO LOVE 20
"I Need Not Go" • 21
"At Middle - Field Gate in February" 28
"Two Lips" 34
"In five-score Sununers" 38
"For Life I had never cared greatly" 42
''I Said to Love" 44
CONCLUSION 49
BIBLIOGRAPHY 50 iii
UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY Logan, Utah DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC
DONNA DAVIS, CONTRALTO Graduate Recital Betty Hammond, Accompanist
Er barme dich ••••••••• • • • · ...... Bach from "St. Matthew Passion" David Daines, Solo Violin Mary Beddingfield, Viola Kirk Beecher, Violin Richard Hughey, Cello Ruth Ann Butler, Violin Betty Hammond, HaPpsichord
If My Complaints Could Passions Move Dowland When To Her Lute Corinna Sings Campion Rest Sweet Nymphs •••• •.••••• • Pilkington Mike Christiansen, Guitar
Che faro senza Euridice •• • ••Gluck from "Orfeo" Re dell' abisso, affrettati .Verdi from "Un Ballo in Maschera" Betty Hamnond, Piano
Beau soir •• Debussy Extase . • Duparc Apres un reve •• Debussy Betty Hamnond, Piano
I Said to Love • • • . • . • • Finzi I need not go At Middle-Field Gate in February Two Lips In five-score Sununers (Meditation) For Life I had never cared greatly I said to Love
Chase Fine Arts Center Theatre Monday Evening May Seventeenth Eight O'Clock iv
PROGRAM NOTES
I Er barme dich ...... J. S. Bach from "St. Matthew Passion" 1685-1750
This aria, sung by the Daughter of Zion, is a prayer which reflects extreme anguish at the death of Christ. Bach includes "weeping and sighing" figures in the vocal and violin solos and var ious tone paintings of grief in the accompanying strings.
Have mercy, oh Lord, on me. Regard my bitter weeping. Look on me. Heart and eyes both weep to Thee bitterly.
II "If My Complaints Could Passions Move" . John Dowland 1562-1626 "When To Her Lute Corinna Sings" .Thomas Campion
"Rest Sweet Nymphs" .Francis Pilkington
These selections are among the first published English solo songs which appeared in Dowland's First Book of Songs or Ayres (1597), Rosseter's Book of Ayres (1601), and Pilkington's First Book of Songs (1605). The English ayre, which usually featured lute accompaniment, was the counterpart of solo vocal forms blossoming in other countries such as the solo lied of Germany.
III Che faro senza Euridice . • .•.• Christoph von Gluck Recitative and Aria from "Orfeo" 1714-1787
Alas! why has thou left me, left me to suffer in madness of love? Loved one! Euridice! Euridice! My own one! She lives no longer, I call her in vain. Oh, what misery to lose her again and forever! Oh judgment, oh sad death, cruel recollection! I have no helper, naught gives me consolation, Naught can I image, (Oh, fearful vision!), Naught but the dark gloomy aspect, The horrors of my being! Now fate may wreak her vengeance, I am despairing.
Live without my dear Euridice! Can I live without my love? In my woe, where can I go? Whither wander with no love? Euridice! Oh, Heaven! Now tell me, I am forever thy true lover. Through darkness groping, no help given, Nothing hoping from earth or heaven. V
In the final act of "Orpheus," Gluck's adaptation of the Greek legend, Orpheus has descended into the under world with the permission of Amore (God of Love) to restore Euridice to the land of the living. Having broken a vow not to look at Euridice until their return to earth, Orpheus laments her second death with great pathos in "Che faro senza Euridice?" Re dell' abisso affrettati ...... Giuseppe Verdi Invocation aria 1813-1901 (Un Balla in Maschera)
King of the Shades
King of the shades, I summon thee- Cleave through the earth's dark center, Veiling thy dazzling majesty, this my dwelling to enter! Thrice hath the evil loud-screeching voice resounded from yonder caves; Leaping, the salamander thrice hath hissed through fiery waves, And thrice a moan that chilled like ice hath sighed from new dug graves! Thrice, too, a moan that chilled like ice hath sighed from new dug graves!
'Tis he! 'tis he! my heart apace beats with fierce glowing pleasure As of his dread yet loved embrace I feel the mighty pressure! A torch the future lighting, he bears in his left hand, Naught now, no naught now can befall but by my vision scanned. Now silence! Now silence!
The black astrologer, Ulrica, sings "King of the Shades" as she brews �ic in her witch's hut. Shen then for,...tells the Governor's death, and the prophecy is fulfilled when the Governor's best friend murders him in the final scene.
Beau Soir •..•••••••••• Claude Debussy lV 1862-1918
Beautiful Evening
When, in the setting sun, the streams are rosy, And when a warm breeze floats over the fields of grain, A counsel to be happy seems to emanate from all things And rise toward the troubled heart; An advice to enjoy the pleasure of being alive, While one is young and the evening is beautiful, For we shall go as this wave goes-- It, to the sea; we, to the grave. vi
Extase ...... Henri Duparc 1848-1933
Ecstasy
My heart sleeps upon a pale lily In a sleep as gentle as death . Death exquisite, death perfumed From the breath of my loved one My heart sleeps on your pale bosom In a sleep as gentle as death Apres un Reve •• • ...... Gerald Finzi 1901-1956
After a Dream
In a sleep charmed by your image, I dreamed of happiness ••• glowing mirage; Your eyes were gentler, your voice clear and strong, You shone like a sky lighted by dawn,
You called me, and I left the earth To flee with you towards the light; The heavens opened for us their clouds, Splendours unknown, divine brilliance glimpsed. Alas! sad awakening from dreams, I call you, oh night, give me back your lies, Return in radiance, return oh mysterious night!
I Said to Love Gerald Finzi V 1901-1956
In addition to the song volumes published already during his lifetime, Finzi had planned several more. During his last year he wrote many songs, but at the time of his death none of the sets were completed. Editors have arranged these six songs with texts by Thomas Hardy into the cycle "I Said to Love."
Some of the texts present the character as male, yet the universal nature of love makes the songs appropriate for women. vii
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Page
1. Measures 1-4 of "I Need Not Go" . . . . . 23 2. Measures 5-8 of "I Need Not Go" . . 23 3. Measures 10-12 of "I Need Not Go" . 24 4. Measures 16-18 of "I Need Not Go" . . . 25 5. Measures 22-25 of "I Need Not Go" . 25 6. Measures 29-31 of "I Need Not Go" ...... 26 ' 7. Measures 32-35 of "I Need Not Go" 27
8. Measures 1-3 of "At Middle - Field Gate in February" 29
9. Measures 5-6 of "At Middle - Field Gate in February" 30
10. Measures 7-9 of "At Middle - Field Gate in February" 31
11. Measures 18-22 of "At Middle - ]field Gate in February" 31
12. Measures 22-24 of "At Middle - Field Gate in February" 32
13. Measures 26-28 of "At Middle - Field Gate in February" 32
14. Measures 1-3 of "Two Lips" 35
15. Measures 12-14 of "Two Lips" 36
16. Measures 21-24 of "Two Lips" 36
17. Measures 5-7 of "In five-score Summers" 39 18. Measures 10-12 of "In five-score Summers" . 39 19. Measures 22-25 of "In five-score Summers" 40
20. Measures 1-3 of "For Life I had never cared greatly" 43
21. Measures 1-4 of "I Said to Love" 45
22. Measures 28-30 of "I Said to Love" 45
23. Measures 39-43 of "I Said to Love" 46
24. Measures 44-48 of "I Said to Love" 47 viii
Figure Page
25. Measures 48-49 of "I Said to Love" 47
26. Measures 66-70 of "I Said to Love" 48 INTRODUCTION
Preparation for the graduate recital provides the Master's candidate an opportunity to exercise a variety of musical skills. Choosing the best possible program requires not only a working knowledge of the available repertory, but a personal assessment of the particular voice with its characteristic strengths and weaknesses. The final selection must reflect a fine balance of material difficult enough to provide a musical challenge and material with which a singer can feel comfortable in coIIDllunicating.
Working toward the performance involves both intellectual prepara tion through research and physical preparation through vocal condition ing. It is not enough to anticipate vocal difficulties and then to rehearse and memorize the music, the singer must understand what he sings. Proper performance of the songs requires a study of the period and the genre of each composition, the composer and his use of musical devices within a particular piece, and the individual text with its mood or purpose. The primary source for study is the music itself, and this is supplemented by materials written about the author and his works.
An exhaustive study of each composition on the program is beyond the scope and intention of the recital report. Therefore, because of a special interest, the author has chosen to study one group of songs,
Finzi's .!. Said� Love, in sufficient detail as to exhibit a maturing of analytic techniques.
Although Gerald Finzi was not an unusually prolific or heralded composer of the twentieth century, his vocal selections are beautifully ,, 2
endearing and skillfully crafted examples of the solo song. Within
the realm of his craftsmanship was the gifted ability to provide a
near perfect union of text and music, even with difficult material
such as poems of Thomas Hardy. The purpose of this paper is to discuss
general characteristics of Finzi's music as revealed in the six songs
of..!. Said to Love and his particular affinity to the poetry of Thomas
Hardy.
In order to discuss the song cycle..!. Said to Love with under
standing, it is necessary to include general background information.
Biographical considerations of both Gerald Finzi and Thomas Hardy are
provided with a brief summary of their particular styles. Each song
setting is analyzed first as poetry and then according to musical con
siderations. Comments on performance problems are included when they
seem appropriate.
:; ' I 3
LIFE OF FINZI
When Gerald Finzi died in 1956, there were quite a few tributes published which remembered the man as well as the musician. He was often described as sensitive and energetic, and he was typically con cerned for composers who were unfairly neglected, whether they were his contemporaries or of another age. Howard Ferguson, an English musician, describes Finzi in the following manner: "Anyone who met
Finzi personally will remember his bubbling sense of fun, his humour and his electric nervous energy. As I picture him in conversation he is 1 always striding restlessly about the room, never seated at rest."
Finzi was born in London, England on July 14, 1904. His musical studies did not begin until he was thirteen because of his family's opposition to his becoming a musician. When he was nine, the advice of Sir Charles Stanford was sought concerning young Finzi's desire to study music, and Stanford's reply was negative. Finzi showed con tempt for prep school, and he deliberately failed subjects to remain in the same form. He often pretended to be ill, and finally he was 2 released from school to go to recover his health.
When Finzi returned to England, his family allowed him to study music with Ernest Farrar. When Farrar died after World War I, Finzi was greatly disturbed for he considered Farrar a good friend. In a personal letter to Donald Vogel, Mrs. Gerald Finzi gave several reasons which accounted for Finzi's withdrawal from other teenagers into a
1 Howard Ferguson, "Gerald Finzi," Music and Letters XX.XVIII (April, 1957), 134-135. 2 christopher Finzi [biographical notes on slip case], "Gerald Finzi," Dies Natalis, World Record Club, CM50, 2 sides, 10 inch, 33 1/3 r.p.m., 1964. 4 private world of books, study, and intellectual curiosity well beyond his fifteen years. Finzi's father had slowly died from cancer of the mouth, and three of his elder brothers had died earlier. He had an elder sister whom he disliked, and he felt that even his mother did 3 not fully understand his wish to be a composer.
Finzi's formal musical study continued four years with Sir Edward
Bairstow (1918-22) and with Dr. R. D. Morris for a few months in 1925.
Although he was a professor of composition at the Royal Academy of
Music in London, Finzi's composing career was leisurely and free lance.
He spent much of his time working in his country home or conducting amateur orchestras. During the war years of 1939-45, he served in the Ministry of War Transport which interrupted any major musical 4 work.
However, during World War II, he founded the Newbury String Players, a group which explored chamber music of the past, especially that music which had been overlooked. Sir Arthur Bliss said of him (as he was discussing Finzi's love for cats), "And just as he liked to help living strays so he undertook to rescue from oblivion music which he thought undeservedly forgotten .•.. and a host of amateur string players will bless him for giving them in these editions music of style and charm
5 which they can readily play.11
Gerald Finzi's marriage in 1933 saved him from an introverted life,
3 Donald Eugene Vogel, ''A Recital of Selected Songs for the Low Male Voice Composed by Gerald Finzi Using the Poetry of Thomas Hardy," Ed D Dissertation, Columbia University, 1966, p. 8. 4 Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 5th ed., s. v. "Finzi, Gerald," by Kenneth Avery. 5 Sir Arthur Bliss, "Gerald Finzi - An Appreciation," Tempo XLII (Winter 1956-57), p. 6. 5 and the couple's move to the country a year or so later provided an idyllic setting for his work. Apparently, Gerald and Joyce Finzi were a remarkable couple. Three of his best musician friends, Sir Arthur
Bliss, Howard Ferguson, and John Russell, in writing articles after his death discussed the Finzi home. They all mentioned the general atmosphere, an apple orchard with over four hundred varieties, a huge literary and musical library, and Gerald Finzi's personal vivacity. Sir Arthur Bliss noted that Finzi's sensitivity to art was in part because his wife was an exquisite artist. Bliss said in general of the home,
Ashmansworth where he lived was a haven for his many friends. Within the close circle of his wife and the two sons he created an atmosphere in which anything sham and insincere wilted.6
Howard Ferguson stated,
No reminiscence of Finzi, however short, could omit I , ,.1.,1 mention of the home life that meant so much to him. He and his wife Joyce, in whom he was so profoundly blessed, made with their two sons a rare and united ,·i family circle••. 7
Ironically, Finzi died in September, 1956 from a complication stem ming from a case of chicken pox. Five years earlier he had been diagnosed as having a terminal illness. In a letter to Mrs. Finzi written after he had received the diagnosis Gerald Finzi Stated:
At 49, I feel I have hardly begun my work. "My thread is cut, and yet is not spun, and now I live, and now my life is done." As usually it happens, it is likely that new ideas, new fashions and the pressing forward of new generations, will soon obliterate my small con tribution. Yet, I like to think that in each genera tion may be a few responsive minds, and for them I should still like the work to be available. To shake hands with a good friend over the centuries is a pleasant thing,
6 Ibid.
7Howard Ferguson, p. 134. I 6
and the affection which an individual may retain after his departure is perhaps the only thing which guarantees an ultimate life to his work.8
8 Donald Vogel, p. 11. 7
MUSIC OF FINZI
Gerald Finzi, criticized by some and praised by others, will probably never be remembered as one of the greatest twentieth century composers. Denis Stevens says in his perfunctory description of Finzi in! History of Song, "Despite the reputation among his contemporaries which Gerald Finzi won for his seriousness, history is unlikely to see him except as an offshoot of Vaughn Williams."1 In his article on Finzi, Kenneth Avery states the following: "Finzi's quiet and sensitive music, after attracting at first the attention only of the more perceptive musicians, has gradually become more generally re- 2 cognized." Yet even if Finzi is viewed as ranking among the minor composers of the twentieth century, at his best Finzi gave the world truly fine examples of the solo song, and his style is thus worthy of examination.
Finzi's music, highly individualistic and English in flavor, received its main influences from Vaughn Williams (especially harmonically),
Parry, Elgar, and Bach. Sir Arthur Bliss in his study of Finzi's work noted that there is no evidence of influence of foreign twentieth century masters. It was not that Finzi was unaware of music being written in other places; on the contrary, he was noted for his music library and his 3 knowledge of the musical contents.
Alan Walker, for example, tells the story of his visit to Finzi's house and the discussion of song writing that resulted. Walker, then a
1 nenis Stevens,! History of Song (New York: W. W. Norton and Company, Inc., 1960), p. 174. 2 Kenneth Avery, p. 136. 3 Sir Arthur Bliss, p. 5. 8 student, thought his own two songs were entirely original, and after playing them for Finzi he was startled when Finzi pulled out a volume containing a piano sonata of Allan Berg in an almost identical style.4
But Finzi chose to write in a somewhat anachronistic style pleas ing to himself, without the use of the higher range of dissonances characteristic of the twentieth century, and with utmost care as to suitability of expression.
Simplicity and correctness of expression are probably the main sources of cham in Finzi's songs, and John Russell recognizes the widespread appeal of such a style in an article which appeared in The
Musical Times. In describing one of his visits to Finzi's home,
Russell states:
But, back in his music room, he would show me a tune .•• , and even as I thought, "What can one do with someone who persists in writing like that in this day and age.?" the hearteasing beauty and sincerity of utterance would bring me near to tears. Nor am I by any means alone among musicians of my (much younger) generation in my response to Finzi's musical thought; it has been con stantly surprising to find how many young members of the "avant-garde" have turned to it for qualities which they appear to find of value to them.5
And in another article, Russell writes:
The music, for better or for worse, is, we feel, ab solutely right in its context. The impression we are left with is not that the composer is doing his best to express himself with a woefully limited musical vocabulary; it is that his integrity is sound enough to cause him not to scorn the humblest means of ex pression if the occasion and the circumstances de mand it.6
4Alan Walker, "Gerald Finzi, "Tempo" LII (Autumn, 1959), p. 10.
5John Russell, "Gerald Finzi," Musical Times, XCVII (December, 1956), 6 30.
6John Russell, "Gerald Finzi: An English Composer", Tempo, XXXIII (Autumn, 1954), p. 9. 9
Finzi's style of writing changed little in the space of his musical career, and he was known as a "fastidious craftsman, continuing to revise a work sometimes for 15 years or more before allowing it to be performed,"7 Because of tendency to rework compositions, Finzi's compositions cannot be categorized in certain "periods" and all his works are representative of his general style. Finzi had an idio syncratic system of opus numbers, He would reserve a number in his own list of compositions which might exist only as a sketch. Therefore, some of his works published posthumously are dated earlier then those works published late in his lifetime.8
While some of Finzi's music is vigorous, his characteristic mood is slow and lyrical. It is almost as though his fast compositions reflect a reaction against a natural bent, His mastery of the vigorous, more extroverted music came later in his career, and, according to
Ferguson, in his instrumental works the slow moments were invariably composed first,9
As the serious craftsman, and songwriter, Finzi provided lyric melodies which were perfectly suited to their poetic texts. His accompaniments are generally close-knit in texture with subtle usage of contrapuntal devices. John Russell comments on Finzi's songs as follows:
If there is anything at all to commend Finzi's vocal work, it must first and foremost be his sensitive re sponse to the cadences of the English language. There is perhaps a more intimate marriage of these to pitch
7Harold Rutland, "Homage to Finzi","Music and Musicians," XV (November, 1966), p. 48.
8Howard Ferguson, p. 132.
9rbid. 10
and rhythm of the music then in the work of any other British composer. 10
I , ,I 1 ' I :1,
,·;
10John Russel, "Gerald Finzi: An English Composer," p. 11. 11
LIFE OF HARDY
Thomas Hardy was born on June 2, 1840 in a small home near Egdon
Heath just outside of Higher Brockhampton, in the parish of Stinsford,
Dorset, England. Hardy was to describe these woods and fields and their people in the novels and poetry which made him one of England's greatest writers.
The Hardy family belonged to the lower social strata of England because of the father's occupation as a stone mason and builder. That
Thomas Hardy was acutely aware of the effects of social differences is apparent in his Wessex novels and poems. 1 Yet Hardy was proud of his heritage, gaining much insight into life through it. His mother
Jemima had a love for books which she passed on to Hardy. And Hardy, the novelist and poet, can be remembered as a musician who played in church and at country dances as a result of the instruction in violin and cello he received from his father.
The formal schooling of Hardy came to an end when he was sixteen after only eight years of classroom instruction due in part to child hood frailty. He had familiarized himself with Shakespeare, Milton,
Dumas, and other great writers, and could quote fluently from the
Bible. He mastered Latin to such a degree that his mother secured for him private instruction in French.
But at the desire of his father that he seek a paying occupation,
Hardy became an apprentice architect at the office of John Hicks in
Dorchester. Hardy had shown an aptitude for the trade as Hicks and
1 Carl J. Weber, Hardy of Wessex: His Life and Literary Career (New York: Columbia University Press, 1965), p. 4. 12
the elder Hardy had associated through business, and thus Hicks welcomed
the young Hardy into his office. Hardy did not give up his love for
books, however, and he and the other boys of the shop often discussed
their readings of the classics.
Later, in 1862, Hardy was employed by an architectural office
in London after having been reconunended by John Hicks. Within a year
he was awarded two prizes by the Royal Institute of British Architects
for his design and for his essay, "The Application of Coloured Bricks
and Terra Cotta to Modern Architecture." His first fiction, "How I
· Built Myself a House," was published in a London journal. But even
with his success he was not totally happy with London, although he
had for five years been absorbed by its theater and art. In 1867 he
returned to Dorchester to assist John Hicks with some church restorations,
and the "visit" became permanent.
Within a few months of his return to Dorchester he met a cousin,
Tryphena Sparks, and they became good friends. It is also very likely
in the minds of present-day authors that these two were, at least for 2 a time, engaged.
In 1870, Hardy traveled to Cornwall on an architectural errand
for his employer, G. R. Crickmay, who had bought the practice of John
Hicks at the time of his death. The journey turned out to be one of
fate, since Hardy was housed at the home of Enuna Gifford, whom he later
married. His visit to Cornwall was the subject of references in_ novels
and the inspiration for several poems, including "When I Set Out for
Lyonnesse," in which he described his journey in glowing terms.
2 J. 0. Bailey, The Poetry of Thomas Hardy: A Handbook and Com- mentary (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1970),p. 13. 13
It was his new bride, Emma Gifford, who encouraged his dedication to writing when he faltered between architecture and literature. After their marriage, Hardy became a full-time writer, and was quite success full and self-supporting in his own time.
The Hardys lived in and around London for years until they pur chased land outside Dorchester for their estate, Max Gate. They moved into their new house in 1885 and it was to be Hardy's home until his death.
As a married couple, the Hardys were happy in their early years together, travelling and entertaining frequently. But with the follow- ing years came "The Rift" of which Hardy wrote concerning his relation ship with Emma. Carl Weber notes that Emma Gifford constantly reminded
Hardy of their differences in social class since she was well bred. And their differences in religion could not be reconciled, since Emma was thor- 3 oughly orthodox and Hardy was questioningly agnostic. Mrs. Florence
Hardy recalls that Emma kept a diary of the Hardys' years together which was full of venom and "bitter denunciations of Hardy," and after Emma's 4 death in 1912, Hardy read this and burned it. Yet there was another manuscript which contained a naive record of Emma's youth, and Hardy kept this and even revisited the places mentioned including the setting of their courtship. Hardy perhaps saw through the manuscripts a picture of himself as Emma saw him. Hardy wrote Poems of 1912-1913 as a wistful 5 reminiscence of their love; Hardy himself called the poems "an expiation."
3 Weber, p. 144. 4 Bailey, p. 25. 5 Richard Little Purdy, Thomas Hardy: ! Bibliographical Study (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1954), p. 166. 14
Mrs. Arthur Henniker, a friend of Hardy's, visited at Max Gate in 1904, and brought with her Florence Emily Dugdale. Florence
Dugdale became the second wife of Thomas Hardy in 1914. It was
Florence Hardy who wrote two of the biographies of Hardy, The Early
Life of Thomas Hardy and The Later Years of Thomas Hardy. Apparently, this second marriage of Hardy was a happy one.
Hardy died in 1928 after a remarkably successful career. Al though some of his works, especially Jude the Obscure, received criti cism, most of his works were internationally favored. He associated with royalty and received many awards including an honorary doctorate from Oxford University. His heart was buried in Stinsford Churchyard, and his ashes remain in the Poet's corner, Westminister Abbey. 15
THE POETRY OF THOMAS HARDY
Although passages in Hardy's poetry may seem to be veiled in meaning, Hardy's intention was to communicate with the reader through his poetry. He once said, "It is unfortunate for the cause of present day poetry that a fashion for obscurity rages among young poets, so that much good verse is lost by the simple inability of readers to rack 1 their brains to solve conundrums.11 Obscurity in Hardy's poems occurs
"when he wrote of persons, places, events, or philosophical views that he could not explain except in a long footnote or did not care to explain because of the intimate material.112
The meaning of a poem may be related to Hardy's life, and background knowledge of facts which may be connected with details in the poetry is essential. In a letter written by Hardy to Cline Holland in 1923,
Hardy states:
If you read the..• "Collected Poems' you will gather more personal particulars then I could give you in an inter view, circumstances not being so veiled in the verse as in the novels.3
Florence Emily Hardy in her book The Later Years, stated the following: "Speaking generally there is more autobiography in a hundred lines of Mr. Hardy's poetry then in all the novels.114
However, a story underlying a poem may be psychological rather than factual. Hardy, for instance, was fond of a neighborhood girl,
1viola Meynell, ed., Friends of a Lifetime: Letters to Sydney Carlyle Cockerell (London: Jonathan Cape, 1940), p. 4.
2Bailey, p. 4.
3Ibid.
4Florence Emily Hardy, The Later Years of Thomas Hardy (New York: The MacMillan Company, 1930)�. 196, --- 16
Louisa Harding, and wrote the love poems "Louie" and "To Louisa in the Lane" in his old age. Louisa never married and while she lived in Dorchester, it is recorded that Hardy never spoke to her. Yet he visited her grave in Stinsford Churchyard with guests. J. O. Bailey writes, "In the sense that a vivid daydream is a biographical fact, the poems to Louisa are autobiographical. 115
Then again Hardy did write fiction, and although he mingled ob servations and personal experiences in his writing, Edmund Blunden states: "We have Hardy's insistent warning not to assume that all his poems with 'I' as their apparent speaker are in any way autobiographical.116
The subject woven throughout the poetry of Hardy is life itself.
Often within his poems are observations of the trivial events, yet even these offer some redeeming criticism of life. Although his tone can be described as pessimistic, his use of humor is a characteristic poetic device. Hardy is perhaps best known for his use of precise and eccentric diction. If a word did not exist to express his exact meaning, he coined a word which would fit his purpose. His poetry reflects a preference for harsh sounds rather then pretty, conventional phrases.
5 Bailey, p. 5.
6Edmund Blunden, Thomas Hardy (London: The MacMillan and Co., Ltd., 1958), p. 96. 17
THE MUSIC OF GERALD FINZI USING THE POETRY OF THOMAS HARDY
Gerald Finzi, known for his large literary and music library, did not have to search through volumes to find subject matter suitable for his songs. It was because of his knowledge and deep love of poetry that he felt committed to share his feelings with his listeners. In a letter written to Howard Ferguson, Gerald Finzi expressed his opinion on the setting of words and music in the following manner:
Obviously a poem may be unsatisfactory in itself for setting, but that is purely a musical consideration - that it has no architectural possibilities; no broad vowels where climaxes should be, and so on. But the first and last thing is that a composer is (presumably) moved by a poem and wishes to identify himself with it and share it,••• I don't think everyone realizes the difference between choosing a text and being chosen by one,1
After choosing his text, Finzi allowed his musical thoughts to be molded by the poetry, thus agreeing with Monteverdi in the age old question of words versus music. Indeed his words are "the mistress of the text and not the servant.112
It is a sign of Finzi's skill that his songs do not show evi dence of strain between the separate entities of poetry and music.
Finzi's mastery of the mechanics of word settings, to the point that his every move seems to be sanctioned by the poet, is recognized as one of his foremost compositional strengths. The English musician
Alan Walker says of Finzi:
1Howard Ferguson, p. 121. 2 G. C. Monteverdi, "Il quinto libro de Madrigali," Source Readings in Music History, ed. Oliver Strunk (New York: W. W. Norton and Co., Inc., 1965), p. 45. 18
"It is this receptiveness to the changing nuances of poetry that makes Finzi, in my opinion, one of the finest English songwriters of this or any othe r age.113
Failing to subscribe to the belief that a fine poem should be considered complete in itself, Gerald Finzi wrote music for works of some of the greatest poets such as Shakespeare, Milton,
Wordsworth, and Hardy. He seemed to have a special sympathy with the writings of Thomas Hardy, setting about fifty of his poems, while relatively few composers have been successful in writing songs based on Hardy texts.
Aside from recognizing Finzi's obvious love for Hardy's poetry, it would be speculation on the part of the author to give an explana- tion for the large number of Hardy settings. Yet, there are similar characteristics in their works which seem pertinent to this discussion.
Both were painstaking craftsmen who were aware of the contemporary and past contributions in their respective fields, but each preferred to de- velop according to his own desires. Both men were highly intellectual in their approach to their work. Their libraries were huge, and much of their education was achieved through independent study. Hardy and
Finzi enjoyed country living, and the works of each man reflect a rustic air or provencial orientation. Although Finzi was basically exhuberant in the presence of friends, he was said to have underneath his bouyant exterior a deep and fundamental pessimism, which would allow him to re late to the writing of Hardy.4
3Alan Walker, p. 8.
4Howard Ferguson, p. 134. 19
Since Finzi was a musician who loved poetry, and Hardy was a poet who loved music, it seems natural for Finzi to be in sympathy with Hardy's works. 20
ANALYSIS OF THE POETRY AND MUSIC OF ------I SAID TO LOVE
When Gerald Finzi died in 1956, he left many songs unpublished which were intended to be grouped according to author and texts.
The collection.!. Said to Love is the result of the editing of Howard
Ferguson, Joyce Finzi, and Christopher Finzi, and it included six
Hardy songs for low voice with piano accompaniment. The songs, included in Opus XIX as numbers 8-13, were written between the years
1928 and 1956. In analyzing the songs, the poetry is discussed first, with attention given to biographical details of Hardy when these add to the meaning of the texts. Beginning with a few general introduc tory remarks, each musical setting is described from its beginning and continuing in an orderly manner to the end of the composition.
The treatment of the melody is followed by that of the accompaniment, except where the two must be considered simultaneously. Pitches are named according to the Harvard Dictionary method of middle c being designated by c'. 21
I Need Not Go
The personal love poem of Thomas Hardy, "I Need Not Go," refers to
a dead woman, "My Love," who cannot be clearly indentified. Although
the poem is not specifically dated, Thomas Hardy's wife, mother, and
sister can all be ruled out since they were alive when the poem was
published in 1901 in his Poems of the Past and the Present. The l•I ' , 1 'i I\ possible "Love" could be Tryphena Sparks Gale who is buried in Topsham ., I_' t � Cemetery.1
Hardy's poem is written in the first person, so it is reasonable to assume its autobiographical nature in light of other factors. First,
Hardy was noted for romanticizing relationships while he was looking
backward in time. He and Tryphena Sparks were at one time engaged,
but the engagement was broken shortly after Hardy met Emma Gifford.
Although he and Emma Gifford were happy in their early years of marriage,
it was clear that their later years together were troubled. It is
probable that at such a 'time Hardy would look back on a previously
satisfactory relationship with nostalgia. Finally, the poem seems to
be autobiographical since it refers to a graveyard visit, a pastime
characteristic of Hardy. Hardy had visited the gravesite of Tryphena
Sparks shortly after her death in 1890, and this was about twenty-eight 2 years after their engagement.
The essence of the poem is that the speaker, probably Hardy, has a lover who will wait patiently for his return since she is in her grave.
Thus, it will not matter if the cares of the world delay his visit. If
1Bailey, p. 158.
2Bailey, p. 16. 22 he still does not go to her when he has time and no one to stop him, she will not scold him; she will not blame him even if he finds new love.
The four stanzas of the poem each contain eight lines of two feet length. The poetic feet employed are mostly iambic, but Hardy also characteristically combines anapestic feet within the iambic framework. Stanzas one through three have a rhyme scheme of aaabcccb, while stanza four's rhyme is aaabaab.
In setting this poem to music, Finzi uses an appropriately un- 3 hurried andantino tempo in 4 meter, suggestive of the title, "I Need
Not Go." The thirty-five measure song, in the key of E major, is quasi-strophic with only slight changes in melody, rhythm, and harmony as the text requires. The sweep of the long diatonic melody lines is remarkably true to the conversational reading of the poetry with the rises and falls of the pitch occuring only where the speaking voice might rise and fall.
Finzi achieves in his melodic line the natural rhythm and inflec tion of speech through use of metrical stress, rhythmic devices, and melodic flow and leaps. Besides the first beat stress for syllables as in the word "go" in measure 3 and the word "snow" in measure 4, melodic leaps emphasize the words "sleet" and "where" in those measures.
The accompaniment chords also outline rhythmically and melodically the words "waits for me" in measure five (see Figure 1).
Besides the fact that the melodic contour follows that of the reciter's voice, the rhythm is also conversational. Sixteenth notes speed some words in measures 6 and 7, and longer notes such as the 23
fi,;, .. Andantino J. c ·u VOICE .-. t.l . . f I net!dnot go Through sleet and i� , - <_ r---:= ------...--__.. I � ...... - ·T �~ - --- -� ·- ~-·t.l· -- - - p S:.fnplice I p q---- ...... :::: :::::::- lJ - PIANO? -Ji ., ' d-;. - - r-, .-- - r- ,... - I- I i;now To whert!I kn'lwShe wait,; for me; -- - .... -v f ------Figure 1. Measures 1-4 of "I Need Not Go".
I I dotted eights slow the syllables "fair", "time", and "com".
,. - .. - n � � --=--• - ~ -,-H��J- - Ji Ji tJ - She will tar-ry me there Till I find it fair,..And .. have time to spare From com. pa-ny. - --.... I ,. - .. - . - ,- - � µJ! ~ --- I • -~ .. .. t..· ... T :I: .. ... I i - -- ,, r-, � l l ( - ...... __ I - ' ______, ____ ,_ ___ i____ r- __J/ Figure 2. Measures 5-8 of "I Need Not Go".
With no cadence to the tonic or pause in the accompaniment the
second stanza begins in measure 9 with the same melody as stanza one,
In measure 10 a change of harmony and melody underscores the phrase
"When things cost not/ Such stress and strain." Opening over a V chord
on the syllable "what" in measure 10, the melody rises toward the tonic 24
e' and back to the dominant b', while the accompaning octave bass de
scends emphatically by eighth notes to a quarter note dominant B
(Figure 3). The melody in rising to e' reaches the first important
climax in the song, and this is further underlined by the first
appearance of V chords in a song which has used until this point a
variety of I, ii, iii, IV, and vi chords.
IJ.IJ, ~- It - 'l.l . . Is world some-what, When things cost not Such stress and strain,
:::=:-----.. . _I IJ.1Ut _1 ------. Jo. r=:-:i I·--- ~ - - - - 'l.l - r - - ,,,, p r.: ti- ,_ ..I.I l 1 l"""""'1 ~ - . ------... * • 1,;/ ' -;
Figure 3. Measures 10-12 of "I Need Not Go".
The "stress" is relieved immediately in measure 12 with an accom
panying figure which quickly moves the harmony from the tonic to the
sub-dominate on the word "and". Measures 13-15 end the stanza following
the pattern of the first stanza measure 7-8 except for a final descent
to c' instead a rise to g'. There is no sense of finality to end the
stanza since the last words "come again" are superimposed over an F sharp
chord, and the melodic figure of these words is echoed in the accompaniment
in arpeggios over a series of ii - I chord progressions. This melodic
repetition serves as an introduction to stanza three in measure 15-17.
As the new stanza begins in measure 17, the accompaniment recalls
the beginning of measures 1-2 except that the treble rises to the tonic
e'. Finzi skillfully gives the word "someday" a wistful effect with a 25 syncopated tie into the next measure.
poco ritartl. a temp - day, When none cries ,___ Figure 4. Measures 16-18 of "I Need Not Go". Measures 20-22 parallel measures 5-7 of the first stanza, but in measure 23 the accompaniment makes a dramatic soloistic statement which foreshadows the singer's words "She will not chide" in measures 24-25. poco ti:11ulo • • • • • • • •, -- ·� -= E�- �=-;:===;;:=:ii �-1- ts. I_ .:J.. . � °" ;- � =4!_"'- .. t.. .• =ib'E.,.____ --__·-··-"-:"::�::-� ===------4-====tt==�:c.:p=ti=:::-11�=f ;,r-.-•·-·:•=--==ft-=J=-:±lt-==±==.t==-=3!=:il f·='1 11:i-;ure A-wait mypl�a:sure) She will not chide. f. .. ,,. Figure 5. Measures 22-25 of "I Need Not Go". The fourth stanza begins at measure 26 with the first full cadence to the tonic, thus introducing a powerful recitative-like section containing the only question of the poem, "What - not up braid me••• ?." The answer "Ah, no!," appears in measures 29-30 in a full sweep of triplet arpeggios leading to the tonic in measure 30. The feeling 26 of syncopation and the marking of "poco tenuto" in these measures underline the vocal sigh, "ah, no!." pocfl 11:11. • • • _ • • _ , a lt:mpo 4+--· --:'f=-f=™J J no!- =-:1:w caws may claim me, New love:< in • Figure 6. Measures 29-31 of "I Need Not Go". In the final measures the melodic motive from measures 2-5 is repeated, but the last note b', is given a feeling of finality with an accompanying tonic chord. The long, flowing beauty of the melodic line is enhanced by an active, moving accompaniment which contains melodic material of its own in addition to echoes of the vocal line. Only in recitative sections is the accompaniment strictly chordal, as in measures 6, 21, and 26-27, and even then there is an extended melody outline. One - ., -r .. (XIX no.j '!,o. [l"u] ' 11.&ll. UHi Figure 7. Measures 32-35 of "I Need Not Go". 27 effective device Finzi uses in the inner accompaniment lines is the syncopated harmony, especially in the lower treble. This results in passing tone suspensions as in measures 4, 19, 30, and 31. Otherwise, there is little use of dissonance in this haunting melody. The open ing treble figures in measure 1, which reappear in measure 17, give unity to the song through premonitions of the final vocal statement in measures 32-33, "She will not blame me." (See Figure 7.) One of the main considerations of the singer is the forward motion of the long lines. There are no breath marks, since the phrases of the poem govern the phrases of the music with punctuation marks adequate for breathing. Although the piano part is very well marked according to dynamic levels, there is only one crescendo-diminuendo notated expressly for the singer in measures 24-25 "She will not chide." Perhaps this is a result of Finzi's reluctance to add any such markings since he felt "that the performer, if he were any sort of 3 a musician, would instinctively do it like that anyway.11 3 Howard Ferguson, p. 133. 28 At Middle - Field Gate in February The poem "At Middle - Field Gate in February" was included in Hardy's 1917 publication Moments of Vision and was written about December of 1889, Originally the title was ''Middle-Hill" instead of "Middle-Field," but either term refers to fields along Brockhamp ton Lane near Hardy's birth place, In this poem Hardy, looking back on his childhood, described the field-women who were then about 1 twenty. Written in three stanzas with a rhyme scheme of abaab, the poem is indeed a somber reflection. In the first stanza, the reader en visions a gate covered with droplets of water condensed from the heavy fog. They appear to be measured out on the gate, and the drops fall at only a slight jar. Stanza two reveals workers loading remains of "last year's grass," and it describes the clammy, plowed ground which now lies fallow. In stanza three the poet wistfully recalls a fall day long ago when young girls, dressed lightly and in bonnets, played amorously among the sheaves of the field. This "bevy" of young women, who were all by now dead and "underground" was named 2 in The Early Years of Thomas Hardy by Florence Emily Hardy. Gerald Finzi captures faithfully the gray mood of the poem in his slow, minor setting which is, on the whole, through-composed. This work is number 9 or opus XIX, but it was written in 1956, which may account for the higher range of dissonance used in the song. The 1 Purdy, p. 199, 2 Florence Emily Hardy, p. 292. 29 two measures beginning stanzas one and two are melodically the same ex cept for a transposition one half step higher in stanza two. Otherwise, the general outlines of these two dissonant stanzas are similar but without exact repetition. Stanza three is still poignantly minor, but a freedom from dissonance reflects a change of mood. Throughout the first and second stanzas is a constantly plodding chordal four-voice accompaniment containing consecutive quarter note clusters of major fifths and major sevenths imposed over minor and major seconds. The forward motion of the accompaniment is achieved through use of singular inner voice movement; for example, alternated triplets and eighth notes in the tenor of measures 1-3. The upper voice of the accompaniment moves mostly stepwise, the repetition of the c' sharp and b' help to set the mood of dreariness. o. Adagio [,ii= u] The barsare thickwithdrops that Figure 8. Measures 1-3 of "At Middle - Field Gate in February". As if to give the effect of heaviness in describing the beginning line "The bars are thick with drops that show/ As they gather themselves from the fog," the accompaniment voices are spaced close together in pitch. Neither the upper nor the lower voices contain intervals wider than a major seventh until measure 15, and this adds thickness to a texture already heavy through lack of consonance. 30 Finzi takes care to allow the rhythm of the singing of the poem to be similar to the actual speaking of the poem with one notable exception. To emphasize the phrases "Like silver buttons ranged in a row/ And as evenly spaced as if measured," Finzi arranges notes of the melody in a scalewise "row", and he "measures" and "spaces" the words with sixteenth notes alternated with eighth no_tes. This even rhythmic arrangement contrasts with the triplet pattern which the speaking voice would probably use. The alto line of the accompaniment propels the motion of the line with its syncopated eighth notes. p4-j-4jd Ji j �� ii jJ p p. =:-:.. Like sil-ver buttons ranged in a row, And as e - vtm-ly spaced a.-.if measured, I �· _ue J .. =:��----- [:__[_---W_ - _~u ijb�r::] � I I ' F •r r r Figure 9. Measures 5-6 of "At Middle - Field Gate in February". The haunting melody of the first stanza moves mainly in a step wise fashion in a sustained flow through the B minor scale, although the key signature would indicate either B major or G sharp minor. The few skips are not wide; however, the melodic skips in measure 7 coupled with the "jogging" rhythm provide the tone painting of the falling drops which the accompaniment repeats. The only break in the chordal accompaniment of the first and second stanzas is an example of word painting. In the interlude between stanzas, measures 8-9, is a musical picture of the falling water droplet. The 31 fast falling figures seem to rest on the quarter notes in descent in a way that resembles water drops hanging onto an object before finally plunking to the ground. -' - - f~ L.. t. = ' al-though They -fallI ------... at the ft'<'blestjog .... , ~ ··�· .1 ..e -'- , - - '1j ;:.~, :6 ------" t.. - .._. ,:--,r-.- _..:_._ [-= mp• -..-- • ,, ' dim. -· ...... pp\ I 1-1'I ~ . ... ' n I Figure 10. Measures 7-9 of "At Middle - Field Gate in February". The second stanza beginning at measure 10 and continuing through measure 12 is a transposition of the first stanza to the scale of C sharp minor. After the words "Too clogging for feet to pass," the accompaniment is a description of the strained footsteps with the heavy bass descending toward G sharp to announce a new tonality (measures 16-18). I espE I ---:-----... - ...... ·� �- - lfl':1 -] �[mf] i ,�- cl - [�] fhl 1 Figure 11. Measures 18-22 of "At Middle - Field Gate in February". 32 The expressive interlude between the second and third stanza is the first passage with fully consonant intervals and in measure 22 the chords resolve to a D sharp major chord which leads toward the G minor harmony of the final stanza. The repeated C sharps and B's of measures 20-21 are echoes of the introduction, but with the change in harmony the mood is sentimentally reflective (see Figure 12). The beginning of the third stanza, in G minor, resembles a recitative as the words, "How dry it was on a far-back day" are almost spoken. l)>ochiss.animate ; = r.. ,s] r.-, prn$itro.!o ., v 115 J, J How dry it was on a far-back day I ------= it • ["�] r ···�1b r J\I I r .. -I �- Figure 12. Measures 22-24 of "At Middle - Field Gate in February". Then both melody and accompaniment move actively as the play of the young girls is detailed with playful leaps of both intervals and rhythms in measures 26-27. In curtaim•d honnt•ti;andlight ar-ray Bloomt'da Figure 13. Measures 26-28 of "At Middle - Field Gate in February". 33 4 Until the third stanza the meter is a steady 4, but in measure 24 3 Finzi changes to 4, perhaps to avoid making the word "day" too long while still retaining the first beat accent of "stnaws" with a change 4 3 back to 4 in measure 25. The switch to 4 in measures 27-28 is also to quicken the pace in addition to preserving the accents of the text. In measures 30-33 the change of meter accomodates the desired accent of the melodic figure in the accompaniment which ends the piece with two repetitions of the melodic statement of "How dry it was" from measures 22-23. The problems for the singer are varied in the song. Long flowing lines require much breath support, and in breathing there must be a careful effort to avoid break in the forward flow of the music. The singer must listen and be accurate in the intonation of pitches in the minor scale passages. Slow rising phrases need intensity without too much drama, since any excesses in interpretation would take away from the beauty of the barren picture. Articulation problems are compounded by Hardy's peculiar use of consonants such as those in "They load the leafless hedge hard by, / And the blades of last year's grass." In that phrase the singer must sing softly on the rising passage, and although the range is only from g' sharp to e', the wording makes it more difficult. Stanza three almost sings itself in comparison to the first two stanzas. Here the best interpretation would allow the singer very few liberties, since the appropriate pauses and dynamics within the phrases are written into the score. This third stanza should be light and rhythmically precise. 34 Two Lips The poem, "Two Lips," is not dated, but it appears in the 1925 collection called Human Shows and recalls Hardy's relationship with his first wife, Emma. The first two lines seem to refer to a morning described in at least two other poems, "At the Word Farewell" and "The Frozen Greenhouse." Although "At the Word Farewell" was first published in 1916 in Selected Poems, it was included in another manuscript with the date of 1913 deleted. It fits the poems of expiation described earlier in this report, since it was a tender reminiscence of the morning that 1 Hardy left the home of Emma Gifford after their first meeting. "The Frozen Greenhouse," which was published in Human Shows along with "Two Lips" pictures the hostess Ennna first as a pretty girl who was concerned with her frozen plants and then as one who is also cold because of her death. The lines from "Two Lips", "I kissed them in fancy as I came/ Away in the morning glow," refer to the morning that Hardy was to return to Dorchester after his architectural errand had caused him to stay at Emma Gifford's home in Cornwall for several days. Apparently this morning was very meaningful to Hardy, since he included 2 it in his poems and also a chapter in! Pair of Blue Eyes. "Two Lips" continues with Hardy's remembrance of kissing the pic ture of Ennna when "She did not know." Hardy remembered kissing her in love and laughter during her life, and he kissed them when she was in a shroud when, again, "She did not know." 1 Purdy, p. 180. 2 Bailey, p. 523. 35 In setting "Two Lips" Gerald Finzi used, a through-composed form in the key of F minor, and the poem of two four-line stanzas was com- 2 bined with music in twenty-four measures of 2 meter. Finzi composed "Two Lips" in 1928 at the age of 24. This was just a few years after Hardy had first published the poem. The song is number 10 of opus XIX. Although the rhyme scheme for the stanzas is altogether abab and cbcb, only the rhymed "b" syallables ("know") are extended in duration since these end the short sentences. Each of the three phrases beginning "I kissed them" start on a leap from the dominant c' to the tonic f' and continue in a long melodic sweep thorugh the end of the phrase as in the beginning shown below. Animato J: o. so I'. I VOICE --i -- r ' --i tJ .. I tn . as A-way kissed them in fan cy came - the ,. I Ir' � � � PIASO Ipp . leggier? 1 r- .:. .. ,----, I I _:,,,..-- - !� I L...... ,I � Figure 14. Measures 1-3 of "Two Lips". These first three phrases are similar in melodic contour and animation and are accompanied by the same kind of light, staccato arpeggios through measure 11. The word laughter in measures 10-11 is extended in duration as if to indicate the importance of the memory of laughter. Measure 12 begins a section marked "ritardando" in which the word "long" is also held to suggest the prolonging of the kiss while the accompaniment emphasizes the word also in a moving bass figure of thirds. 36 ritardando ~ ~- V = .- -'ff'/I I tJ T When she knew al1; ...... long...... 1,0! ....•... II I l ,-1 _,~. ' __ , +?: "...: ,.., ~ I _1 r I !~- ,-- ...... t--... � ..:. -- - Figure 15. Measures 12-14 of "Two Lips". After a pause the final sentence begins with "That I should kiss them in a shroud thereafter" at the "memo mosso" section in measure 16. The slower melody is outlined by chords instead of arpeggios, emphasizing the finality of death. After another dramatic pause the phrase "She did not know" is stated in the last measures as an altered, more final version of the same words which ended the first stanza in measures 6-8. - ¥ I¼-I ;J ii II She did not know. Figure 16. Measures 21-24 of "Two Lips". The performance of the first two stanzas requires a light, flexible singing tone with an emphasis on the sweep of the phrase. In the second 37 stanza, the rare crescendo marked for the singer on f' in measure 12 should be observed but not exaggerated. The slower sections in measures 7-8 on the words "She did not know," and in measures 12-13 on the words "When she knew all" require the singer to associate himself with the wistful mood in his interpretation. The final phrase which contains a decrescendo on the words "She did not know" proves to be a challenge to the singer's sensitivity and control in softening a sustained phrase, 38 In five-score Summers Written in 1867, "1967" or "In five-score Summers" was included in the 1909 publication Time's Laugh�ng Stocks. Hardy, at age twenty seven looked toward the next century with bright hope saying that it would be "a scope above this blinkered time." However, his only re quest was that he could share a grave with his "Love." The regular iambic tetrameter and aaa bbb ccc ddd rhyme scheme is also indicative of Hardy's youth. The first stanza emphasizes that all will be new in the next cen tury--the eyes and minds of people, styles, fools and wisemen, joys and sorrows. Then in stanza two Hardy remarks that there will be "nothing left of me and you" except "a pinch of dust or two." Stanzas three and four conclude with the thought that despite the improved world, his I main concern is "That thy worm should be my worm, Love!" Gerald Finzi's through-composed adaptation of this poem is a fine example of his musical craftmanship. Completed in 1956, this song is opus XIX, number eleven. Paying strict attention to the oral accent of the poem (not the iambic tetrameter) he changes meters fourteen times within a song of twenty-five measures. The beginning exclamation "In five-score summers!" is set as a recitative over repeated G minor and n7 chords. Then t0 provide excitement, the melody line moves chromatically from d' in measure 5 as "new" things are described. For only a measure there is a repetition of E flat minor chords as the words "new fools, new wise" are sung. In measure 7 from the c' sharp on the word "weep," there is a major diatonic flow to "joys" in the melody line while the upper voice of the accompaniment moves downward chromatically in the same 39 pattern as measure 5, but a half step higher. The downward sweep of the bass chords is also the same in measure 7 as in measure 5 except for the transposition and doubling of the octaves. animal, ~ .. -- [mp- p Figure 17. Measures 5-7 of "In five-score Sunnners". The second stanza receives a sweeping melodic treatment in D minor while the accompaniment, constantly moving in dissonant eighth notes, gives no feeling of a real tonal center. Measures 10-12 show Finzi' s ability to complement the text perfectly to achieve natural inflection through use of rhythms and pitches corresponding to speech. The word -- ritenuto a tempo ____.. ·- · that live. cen-tur_y's vi-\·j,J vi•!w Be-yonrl two; ...... A =-- Figure 18. Measures 10-12 of "In five-score Summers". 40 "century" is formed on a grace note, and "vivid" is sung with an accent on the first syllable but in fast rhythm of the spoken sound. To emphasize nothing being left of the couple on earth except "a pinch of dust or two," these words are accented and melodically doubled in the accompaniment line (see Figure 18). In picturing musically the next century, Finzi begins stanza three with a melody line which flows toward the highest note of the composition, e' flat, which is appropriately sung on the word "prime" in measure 15. The tentative nature of the next century is perhaps suggested by the pizzicato of the bass in measures 13-14. The melody for "blinkered time" is repeated in the accompaniment in measure 16-17. Stanza four is portrayed with a more nostalgic feeling through use of melody in a definite G minor tonality. Although the section is marked "a tempo," there is a feeling of a slowed pace through repeated pitches in the melody and lengthened note values in the accompaniment. The most striking dissonances used are for textural emphasis, and although these occur at the beginning of the measures, they are still marked with accents. These occur in measure 19 on the word "far," measure 22 on - Figure 19. Measures 22-25 of "In five-score Summers". 41 the word "Thy," and measure 23 on the word "my." Finzi captures the importance the poet places on being buried with his love. The song ends with an echo of the melody used in the introductory recitative on the words "In five-score sununers." 42 For Life I had never cared greatly "For Life I had never cared greatly" seems to be for Hardy an autobiographical work. Within its stanzas he traces the periods of childhood skepticism, religious doubts, discovery of idealism, dis illusionment, and a final conunitment to life's pilgrimage. His six line stanzas are composed of a combination of anapestic and iambic feet with the number of feet per line arranged in a pattern of 3, 2, 2, 3,4, 2 in each stanza. The rhyme scheme is abccab. Hardy's characteristic use of odd turns of phrases is evident in the words "peradventures unsought" in stanza one. He says, in essence, that perhaps it was the failure to seek adventure and the fact that some ad ventures finished with no result which had turned him against life. In the second stanza, the "conditions of doubt. •• that leaked slowly out" are those things which undermined his religious faith in the 1860's. The third stanza describes how idealism and love courted and won him, resembling his poem "In the Seventies." Stanza four shows he was again disillusioned, perhaps by love. But in stanza five he said that life "uncloaked a star" which is perhaps, but not necessarily love. With his eyes on the new light in his life he determines in stanza five to continue his journey through life with zeal. In opus XIX number 12, Finzi treats this poem simply but effectively. His folk-like melody in the key of D major is complemented by a rustic 9 6 dance accompaniment in meters of 8 and 8 time which are well-suited to the anapestic text. The rhythm moves steadily in threes with his use of dotted quarter note solid bass chords, and the melody line is sometimes doubled in the moving eighth notes of the treble. In his strophic setting Finzi uses the form ab ab a'. The introduction of each a section is 43 the only melodic material of the accompaniment, and perhaps the lovely tune represents the "dance" of life. 6 •r,,,I THOYAS HARDY J ... GERALD FINZI Tempo commodo I tran uillo' e senza rigore . : c. n I',;,, q J VOICE tJ -� � •· ,. ;J, - For -- · tJ .... - •• r- r· ·-··--- .....-- -- r- ==-- r:- •=J_~-}- I I ------·-~ · - - ~-- I I r· r. I r I Figure 20. Measures 1-3 of "For Life I had never cared greatly". The tempo is moderate, and perhaps Finzi's instructions to be tranquil and without vigor are to keep the singer from reducing the song to a mere dance tune. The song should be performed with a flexible, legato tone while keeping the rhythm precise. The "poco allargando" ending allows for the liberty of breathing before a dramatic ending. The beautiful simplicity of this song makes it a delight for both the singer and the listener. 44 I Said to Love Poems of the Past and Present published in 1901 contained the poem "I Said to Love" in a miscellaneous section. The poem is a dramatic dialogue between the speaker of the poem and a personified "Love." Hardy reveals his complete disillusionment with love in a bitter denun ciation. The poem is constructed with four stanzas, the first three having seven lines each and the fourth having nine lines. Regular in both rhyme and meter, the poem contains an abbacca rhyme scheme with the first, third, and seventh lines in iambic dimeter and the other lines in iambic tetrameter. The fourth stanza rhyme pattern is abbbaccca with the "a" lines in iambic dimeter and the others in iambic tetrameter. In the first stanza Hardy addresses "Love" to tell him that he is no longer the adored one who was named "the Boy, the Bright, the One Who spread a heaven beneath the sun." The speaker continues in stanza two by saying that it was meerly weakness in judgment that made men clamour after Love to come and inflict agony into their lives. Stanza three refers to some of the symbols of Love such as Cupid, the swan, and the dove. The speaker describes Love as having "features pitiless and iron daggers of distress" instead of being young and fair. The connnand "Depart then, Love!" begins the fourth stanza. When Love threatens that mankind would perish without his "kindling coupling vow," the speaker replies that men are too apathetic to fear the threat. if mankind really would perish without Love, the speaker will resign himself to that fact, but he will not embrace love. Gerald Finzi's powerful setting of this dialogue is by far the most 45 dramatic work of the song cycle "I Said to Love." In this dissonant, fast-moving song centered around various tonalities including C major, Finzi repeats the melodic figure of "I Said to Love" to achieve unity in the through-composed setting. The melody follows the text furiously with dissonant leaps and rhythmic figures. Ranging from short melodic material to strictly chordal measures and to flowing runs, the accompani ment underlines every change of mood. Beginning the first stanza with thundering low C octaves, Finzi introduces the main melodic motive "I Said to Love." To follow the rhythm of the text Finzi uses both double dots as in measures 3 and quarter note triplets as in measure 4. Although the melody of the first stanza begins and ends with C tonality, measures 8-13 contain no suggestion of a stable tone center. To suit the accompaniment to the text of "the One Who spread a heaven" Finzi uses a pleasant progression of thirds. The stanza ends with a repetition of the "I Said to Love" figure in both the melody and accompaniment. ,..Allegro ; - C 12ft J ·- VOICE - ~ -- tJ • ...... I said to Love, "It IS not IIOW -i~as lU I I - ff;-• •· 6-· J I -~ - ---· - -"%-t- ~ I I . ...:: ~ .. -. * j ' PIANO Jf I I t l J i I -. .. ~ 'it. ~ "j. -~ 17 1 7JJ: 8 /Jas,a ...... , loco Figure 21. Measures 1-4 of "I Said to Love". The melodic contour of the second stanza resembles that of the • first, but the accompaniment changes from a chordal structure in all voices to running bass figures over low bass chords. The top two 46 accompaniment voices rise to f' sharp in the treble clef on the words "clamoured thee" in measure 24. The stanza ends with an augmen tation of the main melodic figure in measures 28-29 and a literal trans position of the figure in the rising treble accompaniment run (see Figure 22). alempo p------J. Jd #JI said to -- Figure 22. Measures 28-30 of "I Said to Love". That same "I Said to Love" is repeated on g' to begin the fourth stanza at measure 30. Finzi underscores "Thou art not young, thou art not fair" with darker dissonances in accented, contrary motion chords, and the mood changes immediately on the fortissimo declamation of the words "No elfin darts, no cherub air" to a higher treble arpeggiated figure. With the word "features" there is another sudden change of mood with marcato A flat major 7 chords building to the dissonant trip- And but ft>a-turt>s i-ron of dis - tress:-' .1 - f -> -- ' p� ,J L-l- Figure 23. Measures 39-43 of "I Said to Love". 47 let on the word "pitiless." The "iron daggers of distress" are musi cally pictured in a mournful treble phrase in the piano part in measures 42-43 (see Figure 23). Again, "I Said to Love" is repeated to end the fourth stanza, but the figure is changed while staying within the interval of the fifth. The accompaniment takes up this motive and repeats it twice in aug mented rhythm (see Figure 24). : _ .-+--aUnrgando ¥Tl 5J;hd ~ ; I - !:1 - I - Ii - I said to Low .... ·� .. I," � -= 1,·� 1- L- " .. ~-- '!;I-____,,. - - - ., I r '-' -· , ... --t-c==~Jf _, J]f -I -·--·-~ .;:-i. -" - �-��" - ,.., --" Figure 24. Measures 44-48 of "I Said to Love". The fifth stanza begins with a dramatic vocal exclamation, "Depart then, Love!" which still remains within the interval of the fifth as in the other motive statements. The singer is given the instructions to interpret liberally, and the accompaniment emphasizes the phrase with the equivalent of a vocal vibrato accent (see Figure 25). - - Liberamente �)"Di,· I partF thtm, Love! .. A A Figure 25. Measures 48-49 of "I Said to Love". As perhaps a musical portrayal of Love's response to the command there is a double octave cadenza of fortissimo eighth note triplets 48 ending on C. Measure 51 begins the repetition of Love's obvious threat that "man's race shall perish," and this is a recitative of c" and c' over an inverted F minor chord followed by a simultaneous inverted B major chord and F major chord. In this stanza Finzi allows the text to govern the rhythm fully with six meter changes within twenty measures. Loud octaves in the accompaniment double the vocal line in measure 58-60 in a descending E flat major scale line. In measures 62-63, Love's threat is repeated over two loud, single minor chords in E flat tonality which continues through the reply "So let it be" and resolves to a C minor chord in measure 65. The song ends in a final melodic statement of the motive "I Said to Love" in measures 65-66 and a violent restatement in the accompaniment. The last measures include the leap of the fifth in the lower bass accompaniment from D flat to A flat while the upper voices sustain a C chord; the ending resolves back to the tonality of C minor. r1tard. molto 11 tempo r.-, b,\ •· A f:'. A ~ v- ~ ~ u -·- � A A. 11 uu1 [XIX no. 1:9 _ti�!!, Figure 26. Measures 66-70 of "I Said to Love". 49 CONCLUSION As a result of the research and preparation for the recital, it has become increasingly apparent that a fine interpretation of song comes through an understanding of both the text and the music. Although this idea is not new for the author, there is an increased awareness of its importance. In the songs of Finzi which have been discussed, the study proved to be a tool for discovering new shades of meaning and adapting these to the performance. Finding Finzi's music to be rather simple, and at the same time well-contrived, the author was able to avoid a personal tendency to over-dramatize the singing of texts dealing with life and love. Since Finzi provided nearly perfect settings for the mood and message of the Hardy texts, it seemed best to take few liberties with the music. 50 BIBLIOGRAPHY Apel, Willi. Harvard Dictionary of Music. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1968. Bailey, J. 0. The Poetry of Thomas Hardy. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1970. Bliss, Sir Arthur. "Gerald Finzi--An Appreciation." Tempo 42 (Winter 1956-57):5-6. Blunden, Edmund. Thomas Hardy. London: Macmillan and Co, Ltd., 1958. Boyd, C. M. "Gerald Finzi and the Solo Song." Tempo 33 (Autumn 1954): 15-18. Ferguson, Howard. "Gerald Finzi." Music and Letters 38 (April 1957):130-35. Finzi Christopher. (biographical notes on slip case), "Gerald Finzi." Dies Natal is, World Record Club: CM 50, 2 sides, 10 inch, 33 1/3 r. p. m., 1964. Finzi, Gerald . .!. Said to Love. London: Boosey and Hawkes Music Publishers, Ltd., 1957. Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 5th ed., s. v. "Finzi, Gerald," by Kenneth Avery. Hardy, Florence Emily. The Early Life of Thomas Hardy. New York: Macmillan Company, 1928. The Later Years of Thomas Hardy 1892-1928. New York: Macmillan Co., 1930. Hardy, Thomas. Collected Poems. New York: Macmillan Co., 1952. Jacobs, Arthur. ! History of Song, ed. Denis Stevens. New York: Haskell House, 1966. Meynell, Viola, ed. Friends of a Lifetime: Letters_!£. Sydney Carlyle Cockrell. London: Jonathan Cape, 1940. Mitchell, Donald. "The Music of Gerald Finzi." Musical Times 95 (Spetember 1954):490-91. Purdy, Richard Little. Thomas Hardy: ! Bibliographical Study. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1954. 51 Russell, John. "Gerald Finzi." Musical Times 97 (December 1956): 630-31. "Gerald Finzi." Making Music 33 (Spring 1957):7-9. "Gerald Finzi: An English Composer." Tempo 33 (Autumn 1954):9-15. Rutland, H. "Homage to Finzi." Music---- and Musicians 15 (November 1966):48. Vogel, Donald Eugene. "A Recital of Selected Songs for the Low Male Voice Composed by Gerald Finzi Using the Poetry of Thomas Hardy." Ed. D. dissertation, Columbia University, 1966. Walker, Alan. "Gerald Finzi." Tempo 52 (Autumn 1959):6-10. Weber, Carl J. Hardy of Wessex: His Life and Literary Career. New York: Columbia University Press, 1965.